Rail-joint.



Patented Aug. 2|, |900.

B. STRENBERG.

RAIL JolNT.

(Application med Feb. e, 1900.)

fa@ m N.. xl.

(No Model.)

NTTED STATES BERNHARD STRENBERG, OF ALFl-IAUSEN, GERMANY.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,226, dated August21, 1900. Application led February 6; 190D. Serial No. 4,181. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that LBERNHARD STRENBERG, mining student, a subject of theKing of Prus sia, Emperorl of Germany, residing at Althausen, in theKingdom of Prussia and Empire of Germany, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

The object of this rail-joint is, on the one` hand, to carry the wheelsof the railway-carriages more smoothly from the one rail to the otherthan is possible with the rail-joints hitherto employed and, on theother hand, to weaken the stock-rail to a less degree at the ends withrail-joints in which the ends of the rails overlap the sides of thefish-plates and half of the head. The web and the foot of each rail arecorrespondingly cut away at the point where the fish-joint is made.

Figure l shows the rail-joint from the inside of the track. Fig. 2 is aplan View of the rail-joint, and Fig. 3 a horizontal section of the samealong the line 3 3, Figs. 4 to 9, Figs. 4 to 9 being transverse sections.of the railjoint along the lines 4 4 to 9 9, Fig. 2.

The essential feature of the rail-joint consists in the heads of theends of the rails which are to be fish-jointed in the manner shown inFig. 2 being cut away obliquely to a considerable length and thesecut-away parts replaced by a double-wedgeshaped fishplate. vThe twopoints of these fish-plates, however, are so formed, or, in other words,the two stock-rails are of such a shape at that part which comes intocontact with the thin parts of the double-wedge-shaped fish-plates thatthese points of the fish-plates run under the head of the rail, andthereby are withdrawn from the direct shock of the' wheels of thecarriage, so that they cannot be injured or be more worn away than tothe extent to which the rail-heads themselves are liable from the wheelsand their'flanges.

In the drawings, a, represents the two rail ends to be joined together,wand b is the double-wedge-shaped fish-plate already mentioned. In thedrawings it is assumed that the fish-plate is about a meter long. Itmay, however, without being essentially altered be of the usual length,and there is nothing to prevent its being of such a length that it willto the direction of the rail.

extend over four or more sleepers instead of over two, as shown in thedrawings.

The greatest thickness of` the fish-plate measured sidewise is at thespot where the actual recess is formed for receiving it. rlhe rail endsto be joined together can, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, be cut away to theextent of half the thickness of the web. As, however, the fish-plate b,as shown in Figs. l and 4to 9, itself supports the wheels while theseare running over the rail-joint, the rail ends to be joined together canbe cut away unt-il thc web of the rail is quite pointed, provided thatthe fish-plate b is of sufficient length. In all cases, however, onlythe web and head of the rail are tapered olf in this way, while, asshown in Figs. 4 to 9, the feet of the rails reftain their originalform. From section 4 4 to 6 6 the head of the fish-plate is cutvertically on the side adjacent to the rail, but at an acute angle tothe longitudinal direction of the rail. This is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

From the section 6 the upper edge of the head of the fish-plate b isturned outward, while the lower edge runs on farther parallel Therebythe two actual points or free ends ofthe fish-plate b assume the form ofa screw-surface in the upper part adjacent to the head of thestock-rail,

and Figs. 6 to 9 show the manner in which, in

consequence of this screw-shape formation, the points or ends of thefish-plates run 'under the head of the rail.

In Fig. 9 the declination of the surface of the sh-plate b lying againstthe head of the rail amounts to about thirty per cent. This angle, as amatter of course, can be enlarged foithe purpose of stillfurtherwithdrawing the points of the fish-plate heads from the inliuenceof the wheel-anges. fish-plate b which thus lies adjoining the webs ofthe rails is at the same time strengthened from the ends of the[ish-plates to the planes 5 5, Figs. 2 and 3. Asthe tapering oif of therail ends in their webs begins from the planes 5 5, the web of thefish-plate b must also be of double wedge shape from 5 5 to the recessin the rail, as seen in Fig. 3, in order thatit maybe able to lieclosely against the web of the rail. The fish-plate b, owing to thisconstruction, acquires very considerable solidity, especially at therecess, as a comparison of Figs. 4 and 5 The web of the will show, andwhich enables it to withstand very great strain.

As the fish-plate?) rests on the uniinpaired feet of the rails, as shownin Figs. 4 to 9, the ends of the two rails to be joined together eachtake up a part of the vertical pressure near the recess, even should thewheels only come into contact with the head of the fish-plate, but notwith the rail-heads near the recess. In this novel construction there isa considerable advantage as compared with the railjoints folding oversidewise, in which half of the foot of the rail is eut away. For thepurpose of firmly fixing the {ish-plate l) to stockrails the old simplefish-plate c can be inserted in the web between the head and the foot ofthe stock-rail. The free ends of the lishplates I) can be pressedagainst the web of the rail by means of bent or curved plates d in themanner shown in Figs. 3 and 6 to 9. As the points of the heads of thefish-plate b run under the head of the rail end to be joined togetherthe end plates d are not indispensably necessary. Of course if the endplates d be dispensed with care must be taken that the ends of theish-plate D are pressedvlirmly against the stock-rail by means of asulcient number of screws f.

That l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The improved rail-joint, the distinguishing feature of which is adouble-Wedge-shaped shplate b lying against the suitably-taperedoi headsand Webs of the rail ends to be joined together the head of thefish-plate being cut away at both ends in the form of a screw, or in asimilar manner so that it runs under the heads of the stock-rails,substantially as shown and described.

In Witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

BERNHARD STRENBERG.

\Vitnesses:

ANDREW C. Soe, SEBASTIAN BAUER MALER.

